


A King’s Weakness

by meganisprobablylying



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies), Thor - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Loki Wins, Angst, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Books, Colors, Dom!Loki, F/M, Fancy Dress, Ideas from infinity war, Loki Needs a Hug, Loki X OC - Freeform, Loki x Reader - Freeform, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Pet, Pet Girl, Second Person, Slow Burn, Tag As I Go, but go watch the film first anyway, but not really any spoilers, king!Loki, loki is a king now, reader gets panic attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-04-28 09:21:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14446188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meganisprobablylying/pseuds/meganisprobablylying
Summary: Loki is now the king of Asgard, a job he spent a long time working for. Midgard is among other planets enslaved to him, and a young inventor finds herself in rather unfortunate circumstances, more specifically, she's now a pet. To the most powerful person in the nine realms. This cannot end well.





	1. A New Pet

“Bow before me mortals! For your god and saviour hath come, and in return for your worship I rid you of the one thing holding you back, your freedom!”. That had been four years ago. That was when the avengers fell, and these were the words said by our new king. The rest of the universe fell only shortly after, the mindless culling of innocents took only mere seconds. The worst part of this was that it was your birthday. Your sixteenth to be specific. Not quite the party you were expecting, and certainly not the one You wanted. But at the very least, You were one of those lucky enough to live, lucky enough to have a ruler who oversees hundreds of planets other than our own, lucky enough for the harsh dictatorship we live under to be paradise compared to others. Our technology before what we are told to call ‘the enlightenment’ was primal compared to the advanced automation we see today, what used to be office blocks turned into factories producing food from seemingly thin air, everything is different.   
Standing from you chair You wander to the living room. You’ve only got a small apartment, standard for someone of your status. Your low down on the food chain here, or anywhere really. You can’t leave your designated zone, which spans only a block outside this building, You can’t have any relationship with any other being, lest You loose your valuable knowledge to them. Your one of the masses chosen to think and invent new things. Whenever someone invents anything of worth here they get promoted, given a higher status, regarded as a true citizen. They and any offspring they produce are free citizens of the land. However the struggle is massive to get an invention that hasn’t been discovered yet. We are supposedly the smart few who can do it, yet it’s rare anyone gets moved up.  
Despite the segregation here Your fairly content. Not exactly happy, but content none the less. While within the living room you stand by the small window. It’s a futile attempt but You try to envision your home before this. Big windows, a massive garden, a family. You don’t have one of those anymore. Most of them fell with the enlightenment and the few that remained were put to work in other classes. Grabbing your bag and filling it with sketchbooks and grabbing a badly sharpened pencil you head out the door. Hopefully today will be the day. Today will be the day Your set free. Today will be the day.

You sigh, blowing on your paper slightly as you watch the clock on the wall. Apparently today was not your day and you had just about hit the end of it. You shuffle your papers together and stack them loosely into a folder, something might come to you later? You refuse to give up. You’ve sat and watched as others have slowly crumpled and given in, and how they get sent to work in factories, often a fate worse than death itself. Glaring lightly at the stack of papers you notice a gust of wind. Huh. That’s not normal, the shield around the block should keep all wind out, a fact you very much hate. So where was the wind coming from? Four years and you hasn’t felt wind on your face once. You were hallucinating for sure, you’ve finally gone insane. Bang. Unless your insanity has spread to others as well, you were almost certain that wasn’t a hallucination. Unless the people around you looking scared were also part of the hallucination? During your internal turmoil you failed to notice the whole room gasp, but you did notice them start kneeling. Well, if your insane to everyone else, your going to at least not look insane to yourself, so you turn to kneel facing the same way as everyone else. What were they looking at anyway? You glance up and don’t see anythi- oh. Oh. Well at least this was confirmation you were insane. But you may very well be dead shorty if you didn’t pay attention. “I am Loki, King of Asgard and ruler of this galaxy. I have come to examine the work quality this planet is creating, and to decide personally if it’s worth the continued investment of the survival for this planet.” Ah. Well that certainly doesn’t bode well. He continues, unconcerned by your mental flippancy towards your impending doom. “I will evaluate the work produced in the past, and more importantly, recently, to decide whether your feeble lives are worth the oxygen you waste by breathing.” Wow, rude. You liked to think you were simply recycling it into carbon dioxide for the plants. Out of the blue, some guy you had never even seen in this district steps up. “Y-you can’t do that! P-people live here!” Oh great, he’s gonna get shot. Or worse I suppose, but I don’t think the factories would work very well with him on the team. Well, you could either be smart about this and stay sat down ooorrrrr... “you dare challenge me foolish mortal?! I can rip every atom of your being apart with just a look should I so choose.” He stepped closer to the man. You didn’t like where you brain was going with this plan. “So, what’s going to stop me? You?” He puts the long cane like sceptre to his chest. When did he get that? You were sure he didn’t have that ten seconds ago. “M-morality?” The man quivered, quite visibly shaking. Ouch man, you really fucked us over there. Morality will save us huh? That’s about as smart as believing in the cults and their made up ‘saviours’. “M-morality?” Mocked the king, chuckling. Yup we’re dead. So very and completely dead. The king points to a woman near him, and with the most terrifying glare towards the man who had spoken, she melted. Full on, solid to liquid melted. That... that was not something you ever wanted so see, much less be near. “Where is this pathetic morality you speak of? Weakness is not a good example to set for the rest of your kind, boy, so either your going to pay for your words, or your going to submit neatly to me before I vaporise you into mist.” Well, let’s hope those novels of self sacrifice are true, because if this man choses not to start kneeling you were about to do something very, very stupid.  
The man paused his shaking and took a deep breath, you quietly got ready to stand. “Then I die, and my family suffer for a cause I believe right.” He lets out a quivering breath but still won’t look the king in the eye. He’s afraid and you know it. Just as the king steps back seemingly to prepare to make good on his threat you stand. “I...” you take a deep breath and look the king in the eyes, if you were going to die then you were going to save your planet first. You may not be attached to anyone here, and you hate the vast majority of them anyway, but you have to die for something. “I offer myself as sacrifice for the survival of this planet and it’s people. They are weak and foolish but their creations are well used and while they may not be the smartest, they will in time give you the results desired.” The king paused and turns to you. The room falls into deathly silence, almost as if everyone held their breath in suspense. Well, if you didn’t die immediately you may very well end with a panic attack instead. The feeling of dread rising in your chest, threatening to overflow and push you into an episode. The king laughed. “You? The only thing you could possibly be worth is as a pet or trophy. An ornament. Something of no use.” You blink at him but do not move or speak, if you do you run the risk of crying. And of all times to breakdown, now was a really bad one. “ he looks you up and down appraisingly. “However you make a valid point in the work this planet has produced so I shall indeed take your offer.” Offer? What offer did you ma- “in exchange for this mans, this planets lives, I will take you as a trophy, a testament to my conquest of this galaxy.” Ah. Arguably that wasn’t your offer but... sure. It’s just like an adventure novel, only a little more... deadly? You incline your head slightly, casting your eyes to the floor. “Thank you, my king.” He watched you intently for a second, seemingly debating something mentally, before turning back to the other man, who was stood shaking again, watching the short exchange. “You are lucky. all of you,” he gestured around the room. “All of you are very lucky. I am a benevolent god, and as such I will spare you your lives. But be warned, should you not start producing soon, your planet will be marked for the factories.”  
He turned to you and stepped closer, you kept your eyes firmly downcast. He may not realise it but you were quietly trying to calm yourself to delay the panic attack. You knew it would come, and you knew that by delaying it you make it worse, but by waiting you gain the chance of being alone when it all turns bad, however the intense chest pain that starts these is not a hopeful sign of you lasting long. He grabs your arm and his sceptre starts to glow. Before you know it your stood at the end of a long rainbow bridge and this does nothing to help calm you. Somehow the king has gone from steps away to directly in-front of you. You only just realised you were hyperventilating. When did that start? He gentle grabs your chin and pulls your head up to face him. You were crying as well now. It has been a long time since you’ve had a big one like this. Your mind can only utter one line, yelling it over and over. I’m dying, I’m dying, I’m dying. Rationally you knew you weren’t, but the voice wouldn’t stop, only getting louder. You hear something in the distance but you can’t make out what’s being said. “Breath, deep breaths and breath.” You open your eyes again, when had you closed them? You were greeted with the sight of a very disgruntled king. You focused on slowing your breathing, trying desperately to copy his. This doesn’t go unnoticed and he purposely starts taking deeper, more emphasised breaths to help you. After a few minutes pass you bring your eyes back up to his. During your panic he had stepped considerably closer, to the point where you were almost touching. He looks down at you, concerned for a moment before stepping back. “If that happens again, tell me as soon as you can. I won’t have my pet making me look bad.” He turns and start walking down the bridge, leaving you to helplessly flounder for a seconds before following. You couldn’t help but notice the concern laced into his voice.


	2. Shiny, Shiny.

Following the king across the bridge and into the palace you were amazed, you’d never seen so much gold! It was as if the very air around you was golden, the entire city coated in a glimmering layer. You saw the king turn a hallway and ran to catch up to him, not wanting to get lost in the maze of hallways. Actually paying attention to the king this time you follow closer, but still behind him, keeping the respectful distance you knew you should. Ow. With your head bowed you didn’t see him stop until it was too late and you’d walked directly into his back. Well, you tried to be polite and walk behind him.   
“You May walk beside me pet, you are after all, my trophy to show off.”  
Psh, who would want to show you off? Your outfit looked like rags beside his armour, and you hadn’t showered in a week. If you were going to be a trophy then you needed a good polish. You stepped beside him, keeping your head bowed in fear of literally being impaled by his magic staff thing. You thought it was a valid concern. Apparently however, this what not what the king wanted and he grabbed your chin, none too gently, and pulled your head up to look at him. He practically towered over you, with you only reaching his shoulders. Damn the man was tall.  
“You will look at me when I speak to you, pet.”  
Does that count as agreeing to not stab you? You were not sure but not wanting to push it you nodded numbly. No point in disagreeing only to get stabbed for you troubles. Seemingly satisfied the king let go of your chin and turned to start walking down the corridor. After a few minutes of walking you arrived at a massive door, at least double the height of you. Was everyone here freakishly tall? Seemingly out of nowhere the door opened and you were met lwith the most expensive bedroom you had ever seen, it looked straight out of a fairy tale! Giant floor to ceiling windows coated the far wall, with a balcony and matching door set leading out to it. Books were scattered on every surface, and even the bookshelves themselves were overflowing. Everything was painted a silvery white with green and black accents, it all fit together perfectly. A massive bed was laid against the right wall and it looked magnificent, drapes and everything. A distant chuckle brought you from your ogling, turning back to the king you looked up at him as he grinned.  
“You seem impressed.”  
Well duh, this room alone was bigger than all the apartments you had ever owned combined.  
“I mean I expected a big room and all, but this place is way more extravagant.”  
He looked intrigued by your answer, had he not seen the size of housing on earth? He looked as if he was going to reply but a swift knock at the door that you hadn’t realised was even closed stole his attention.  
“Enter.”  
In walked in an absolutely petrified man who was, strangely enough, blue. Huh. You’d have to remember to ask about that later, what type of person was he, all the aliens you’d met so far looked human enough, this was your first real encounter with something that looked so different, and you really wanted to know more. While you were distracted by his fancy blue color, the man was saying something to the king that he didn’t seem to like. Well, at least if he gets shot you’ll know what blood he bleeds. That’s a dark thought and you should really get out of your headspace now. Lucky this is the point where the king turned back to you.  
“I have matters to attend to. You will stay here, clean and change into something a little less...”  
He looked you up and down, eyes catching on your shoddy belt and muddy boots.  
“...A little less rag-like.”  
You knew it looked like rags! Nodding slightly at the king he seemed satisfied and walked out the door with the blue man behind. As the door closed silently, you turned back to the expansive room.  
“Alright, first up, where the hell is the bathroom.”  
Looking around you spot a discreet door on the far left wall, almost directly opposite the bed. You wander over to it and open it, only to be met with a small hallway and four doors. Well, one of them has to be the bathroom, and you presume one or more of them are closets so you try your luck and open the first door. Luck was on your side and inside was a wardrobe full of extravagant gowns and clothing. Well, now you knew where to go to get cloths, you really need that bathroom as you can practically smell yourself. A shower on earth was a difficult thing to acquire, and you hadn’t had a bath at all since the enlightenment. Hopefully the king did have a bath tub so you could wallow for a while, or a few hours. Back on your train of thought you step back and close the door, making a mental note of which room all you clothing is in. Time to open door numero two. This time you are instantly met with the smell of books. Turns out this room was a ‘small’ private library, the size of a small house, with more books than you could hope to real in a lifetime.  
“Alright not this one I guess.”  
Muttering to yourself as you went you closed the door and tried the third one. Bingo. You walk into the bathroom and grin. It was massive! Lining the walls were shelves dug into the walls, covered in soaps and fragrances you didn’t even know existed. Still smiling like an idiot you walk over to the bath and dunk your hand in the water, pleasantly surprised the water was still warm. However knowing you were practically caked in mud you walked to the shower in the other corner, quickly stripped and hopped in. It was the first you’d seen a shower and a bath completely disconnected and you were going to take full advantage of not having to bath in muddy water.  
Having scrubbed the majority of the mud and filth off your person you hop out of the shower and begin looking through the seemingly endless vials and jars of soaps and fragrances. A blue tinted glass caught your eye and as you opened it and sniffed its contents cautiously, your eyes widened in surprise. Was that... pine? Whatever it was, it smelt so much like home you poured almost half the bottle in and was pleasantly surprised as a mound of bubbles began to form. Let nobody tell you a grown woman can’t have and enjoy a bubble bath. If only there were rubber ducks. Gingerly lifting yourself into the tub you sat and wallowed in the perfectly temperatures water, and allowed your mind to drift. Why had he agreed to your idea? And why so quickly too? You couldn’t figure it out. Not wanting to ruin your nice bath, and fully aware of your impending adrenaline crash you tuck that train of thought safely into the corner, open for later.  
After about an hour your hands had grown uncomfortably shrivelled and you decided to climb out. Grabbing one of seemingly millions of towels you wrapped it around your body and grabbed another for your hair. Not a chance you were covering that expensive looking carpet in water, despite how fun it would be. Walking back out into the hallway you head to where the closet you found earlier was, only to spot the door now propped open. Huh. You were pretty sure you closed the door, and one look inside confirms your thoughts, delicately laid on a dress stand near the door is a gorgeous knee length ivy green gown, complete with an intricate silver belt that glimmered a thousand colours in the light. Next to it is a plain black box, which you were certain contained jewellery, and a pair of silver pumps, that matched the belt perfectly. Now this was much more fitting of a trophy, after all expensive things are meant to be shiny, and you were attracted to shiny things much like a goldfish. Walking carefully over to the dress you scan the rest of the room and, satisfied there is nobody else there, quickly pull the dress on. It fits perfectly as if it was made just for you (to be fair, it probably was) and as you open the box your surprised to find it locked. Well it’s not for you then you guess, placing it back down with every intent to take it back to the main room with you. You carefully remove the tower from your head and are pleasantly surprised to find your hair almost completely dried. Magic towels are apparently a thing then, these would have been very useful on earth. Snapping out of you daze you grab the brush closet and begin to try and tame your hair. It had grown significantly since before the enlightenment, as that was the last time you had the chance to cut it. As tempting as it was to trim your hair you decided to save it for later, instead looking around for a headband to keep your hair out of your face. Spotting a plain green one that matched your dress you carefully placed it into your hair and took a moment to look in the mirror. Woah. It’s incredible what a good bath and a nice outfit could do to a person, you looked more like a doll that a person, which you guessed was probably about right with your new role.  
Stepping out of the closet you wander back into the main room, locked box in hand and was taken aback to find the king milling in a chair, legs flipped over the edge and crossed, reading a book as thick as your head. He turns to look at you and pauses, seemingly taken aback by the sight. You look down self consciously and close the door you had just walked through.  
“I thought I told you to look at me.” He spoke, amusement clear in his voice.  
“You actually only said to look at you when you talked to me.” You pointed out looking up. You didn’t know where this newfound confidence had come from, but you were going to take advantage while it lasted.   
“You make a fair point pet.”  
He chuckled and stood, stretching as he did so. He paced slowly over to you and took the box from your hands. You had actually forgotten you were holding that, and were quite glad you hadn’t dropped it. As he open it with ease you looked inside and was taken back by what you saw. Inside the plain box was an incredibly intricate and expensive looking collar, mostly silver that shon almost white unlike your belt, with two green snakes intricately wrapping around it.  
“This...” he paused as he took out the collar for you to see better, “...is to prove to everyone who you belong to, pet.” He put much more emphasis on the word pet this time, making your status clear. You started to look down but the king caught your chin before you could, making the box disappear into thin air and using his other hand to place the collar around your neck. It snapped on with a resounding ‘click’ and sealed itself around your neck perfectly.  
“And who is you belong to my pet?” He asked, a grin firmly planted on his face.  
“You.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, my face hurts from my new braces but, pain is a surprisingly efficient motivator and with any luck, you’ll see updates in a somewhat consistent schedule! No promises, I’m bad at keeping them, but if I’m able to keep this up it’s looks like a chapter every two or three days will be the plan!


	3. The misconception of the stone and the wall

"Good pet." He purred taking a step back and looking you up and down again. Damn, he must really like this outfit. I mean you couldn't blame him, it looked like the stars themselves were embroidered into your belt, and the rich green of the rest of the dress fit flawlessly against your skin, bringing out a natural beauty you never knew you had. Unbeknownst to you his eyes lingered less on the belt and more on what's above it, less on the color and more on the exposed skin of your legs. Seeming to snap out of his daze the king took another step back this time towards the door.  
"After your 'incident' earlier, I presume you require rest and as such you will not be required to accompany me on my duties for the duration of today and tomorrow. After that you will be expected to follow me on all of my errands."  
Pausing, you then nod slightly, well at least that have you time to have the mental breakdown of your never going home again. Fun times you were sure.  
"Despite the fact that you are not required, my duties still call and I must leave you here. Do NOT leave my chambers, or there will be consequences."  
Psh, as if you were going to convince that door to open, the thing weighed twice you! And what reason would you have to leave anyway? You'd get lost in those endless corridors in seconds. Seemingly satisfied the king opened the door and stepped out, the door closing automatically after him. You swear that door was magic, and knowing this place, it wouldn't surprise you. Turning back to the room you cast your gaze first to the bookshelf, and then to the bed. A difficult decision. Deciding to make the best of both worlds you walk over to the bookshelf and pick up the first book on the shelf. Seeing it was a book on plants you placed it back and looked through the shelf for something with a bit more... adventure. Or at least a plot. After a while you stumbled upon a worn book titled 'The misconception of the stone and the wall'. While it did still sound mind numbing, you knew not to judge a book by its cover. Anyway, it's better than a textbook on plants. Walking slowly over to the bed you gingerly sat on the edge, afraid of it being some form of magic bed like the doors. Lucky enough the bed did not try to eat you and you quickly relaxed onto it, opening the first page of your book you get lost in the world of words, adventures, and a surprisingly good story.

Loki P.O.V

It had been a long day, the political side of being king was never his favorite thing, and with the idiots of his court, it probably never would be. Sadly as much as he hated the currant nobility it was a massive bigger attempting to fix it, and fill the room with people worthy of being there. Or people with any semblance of intelligence. Trudging back to his chambers while mulling over his thoughts, Loki smiled. What would the girl be up to? He knew that other than books there was very little entertainment in his room, and very few enjoyed reading anyway, so what had the girl procured to absolve from her boredom? Unless she found nothing and ended up reading, which would not completely surprise him, she was sure to have done something of interest. Her entire existence was of interest itself, not only was she such a fragile mortal with the mind of a god, she was smart but a little damaged too. Loki both pitied and related to her in ways he had never done before. Stepping through the door Loki was unsurprised but impressed to find the girl curled carefully into the bed. He knew from first hand what attacks alike the one she had earlier could do to a person, and they almost always resulted in a rather unpleasant adrenaline crash. During his thoughts he noticed she had curled around something. Expecting it to be some form of pillow or some bedding, Loki decided to investigate. Slinking silently closer he was amazed to find she had curled around a book instead, but upon further inspection he found it was not just any book. It was his favorite book. From the state of her face the book had likely put her to tears, her eyes still slightly puffy and wet marks still streaked down her cheeks. Loki chuckled gently, remembering how he had the same reaction the first time he read it all those years ago. Carefully sliding the book from her arms the girl shifted quietly, waking. Loki attempted to shush her back to sleep and wrapped the blanket around her, slowly easing himself into the bed as well. The movement woke the girl significantly more and she panicked noticing this. What for? Loki had yet to even raise his voice at her, let alone his fist. What had she to fear?

Reader P.O.V

The last thing you remember was turning the final pages of the book again, hoping it would somehow change it to a happy ending. It didn't. You were defiantly not mentally prepared for that emotional roller coaster. After that you were suddenly awake with the king carefully maneuvering around you, climbing into the bed with you. When did you even fall asleep? You tensed automatically as he climbed in, expecting the worst.  
"Your afraid?" He murmured, confused and your actions. You nodded mutely, looking down in your fear. You started shaking gently. Seeming to notice your distress the king looked down at you, debating the best course of action, and the hoped outcome. Gingerly the king used his fingers to raise your head to meet his. Staring into your eyes calculatingly.  
"Come now, I've told you this, face me when I speak to you." He chastised, no real threat in his voice. He was looking down at you with concern, but didn't push to ask what was bothering you, choosing instead to cradle you gently in his arms, much like a small child. Letting out a small sniffle, only now did you realize you were crying again for the third time that day. It had been a rough day to be fair but you really had to work on that. You would be no good as a pet or a trophy if you embarrassed the king in front of everyone by bursting into tears. You knew your emotional control was never great to begin with, but you normally did better than this. Even for you today had been draining, both physically and emotionally, despite the fact you had done very little. Seeing that you were still tensed and unhappy the king started rubbing circles lightly on your back clearly attempting to soothe you. As much as you hated to admit it, it was working at a surprisingly fast rate. After a short five minutes of gentle silence, you slowly relaxed again, curled against him, felt your eye lids become heavy. Taking one more good look at him you drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep. It was the first night since the enlightenment that you slept without nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter today but I'm tired so bear with me and hopefully the chapters will get longer soon


	4. A Nightmare For Two.

When you first awoke it was still dark, silence swirling around the room, morphing everything in the darkness. What the hell had woken you when there were no sounds? Looking around the expansive space, you tried to spot anything that seemed amiss in the dark room. Nothing immediately stood out as odd or different to you, but something just felt... wrong. Casting one last skeptical glance about the room you turned back to the king, when you finally noticed what had woken you. He was breathing heavily, coated in a sheen layer of sweat and looking very much afraid. Ah, well that's your issue then. Gently working your way out of his strong grip and the bedsheets, you move to sit on your knees beside him, you lightly try to tap at him and wake him. Nightmares were almost always fickle things, they were different for everyone that encountered them, both in contents and in how realistic they felt. Sometimes the victim would respond to light, sometimes to touch and sometimes to sound. It always varies per person. Seeing as your gentle poking was not rousing him like you hoped it would, you searched around for a candle, not wanting to have to yell to wake him. Yo were certain telling would not go down well. Having no luck with a candle however, led you to have no other option than to try and talk to him. Better hope he wakes from sound, and isn't to mad about it then.  
Shifting slightly to lean over him you softly start calling out to him.  
"My king, you must wake up, it's a nightmare, it's not reality."  
You start raising your voice and repeating yourself, attempting to keep your composure in the vague hopes your speech would work and rouse him. Thank the maker it did, luck was on your side. He started to stir, slowly at first then all at once, rigidly sitting up with alarm. He turned to you and raised his hand, no recognition in his eyes. At this point your instincts kicked in and you immediately put your hands on your head and ducked down making yourself as small as you could, preparing for a hit that never came. After a second you heard the king make a strangled noise and you delicately glanced up, prepared to duck back down again if needed. You didn't as he looked down at you with intense sadness and what seemed to be pity, as he carefully lowered his hand.  
"I..." he stumbled over his words, and taking a deep breath started again, slowly this time. "I never intended to have you come to any harm... I would never..." he looked about, trying to figure out how to right the situation and finish his sentence. You didn't need him too, you understood perfectly. And while that did nothing to lessen your fear, you made a risky decision. Carefully, and without any hasty movement that could set him off, you moved and wrapped your arms lightly around his torso. After a moment of shock he reciprocated gripping you harshly, but with a good intent, and you two sat there for a long while, just hugging.   
Even if you were afraid of the man, you knew when someone was in need of a good hug, and this was most certainly one of those times. After all, even the best of people felt low sometimes, and everyone deserves a good hug when that feel bad. After a while of silence, enjoying the company of each other, he eased out of your vice like grip and looked down at you.  
"Thank you, I needed that. It's been a significant time since I've had night terrors, even I struggle to soothe myself after them."  
You nod considering his statement. You noticed the deliberate lack of pet names and smiled lightly, a little spark of confidence growing.  
"It's okay, it happens. My king if you don't mind me asking, what was it about? It's said to help to talk about them."  
He looked as if he was debated something mentally then his gaze hardened. Plan failed, oh god please don't hit anything.  
"While I appreciate the sentiment, I am unwilling to put you through the things I have seen, pet."  
Damn, you were genuinely curious. And he was back with the pet names. Well, curiosity did kill the cat. With little delay, and a lot of shifting around, the king laid quietly back down, dragging you with him.  
"Come now pet, that is quite enough excitement for one night."  
You mumbled an agreement despite it being his fault for you being awake in the first place, and as you turned away from him moving across the bed, he very literally pulled you across the bed to lay flush against him. Well then. The fact that you were light enough for him to pull that maneuver was bad enough, it was also incredibly rude. You moved to turn over but was stopped but the king snaking an arm across your waist, practically pinning you in place. You were about to complain but swiftly decided against it, the fear of being hit still present, despite his promises not to. Never could be to careful. The king, seeing that you were still tense, decided to use the arm he had slung over you to gently rub patterns into your wrist, and was using the other arm as a pillow for your head. Anyone would think you were the one who had the nightmare, but there was little you could do and very soon you were too fast asleep even to care. Damn him.  
The next day passed quickly, you had picked another book from the shelf only this time, deciding to read on the balcony instead of the bed. A maid brought meals to you and the king had left before you woke for the second time. It was only at sunset that you saw him again, only he looked ragged and tired this time. You pondered briefly what he could have been doing to end up looking as he did, but you dismissed the thought as none of your concern, and you went inside to greet him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I've stuck to my schedule so far, here's hoping I'll continue to do so!


	5. The dress

Stepping into the room and gently closing the balcony door behind you, the king looked up at you from his daze. Damn he looked like he was about ready to sleep where he stood. you didn't want to follow him on his errands if they led you to look like that everyday, you'd have frown lines in no time! Despite his clearly tired form, he smiled at you, the familiar twinkle of mischief in his eyes.  
"We are to take dinner in the main hall as part of a celebration, go and prepare yourself pet, this is a formal occasion so dress modestly."  
Well he certainly sounded like he was taking absolutely none of your sass. Damn cause you were really in the mood to have a pointless argument. You nodded quickly at him and turned to walk over to what was now your personal wardrobe. How he knew he would ever need a second wardrobe you would never know, you didn't think you wanted to anyway. With the magic here it could very well just be a magic room, ready to swallow you whole. You entered your wardrobe room and paused, there was so much to choose from, You were sure you would never decide on something! Walking in you slowly start to pace the length of the room, admiring all the dresses of every color, from red to blue to green, there was one of seemingly every shade and color possible and then some. Suddenly you spotted something. You paused at it, and saw a black dress tucked away behind all the others. Huh. You carefully pull it out, half expecting it to be covered in spiders or something, and boy were you wrong. It was truly the definition of a hidden jewel, metaphorically and literally. The bodice was a black and as pure as the night sky, with diamonds intricately placed on it giving the appearance of gleaming stars. The sleeves were full length and slit from the elbow to wrist, making them seem wider at the ends, a fashion statement you hadn't seen before. The star like crystals followed down the sleeves and gradually became more sparse as they reached the ends. The skirt was also black, however even the slightest of movements reveals the emerald green layer underneath it, giving it an almost magical feeling, and knowing this place, it very well may be magic. You knew exactly what to do with it almost instantly. Rummaging around the room you found the belt from yesterday (it was still the best piece of clothing you'd found so far) and a pair of short black heels. Good, you couldn't walk in heels any higher than this anyway. Walking alone was a dangerous task with how clumsy you were, making you walk on sticks was not going to help. Stepping into the small changing area, you quickly strip and change, running into the slight issue of the dress having a corseted back, and you not having long enough arms to do it up. Damn. Luckily enough the king had thought of this much faster than you and just as you were about to look for another dress, the maid that served you lunch walked in.  
"Miss, I am to help you dress. Do you need my assistance right now?"  
Well thank the maker cause she was just in time. Although she did not know what she was about to witness.  
"Uh- yes if you could, the dress has a corset and I cannot reach to do it up."  
The maid walked over to where you were and visibly had to hold in her laughter. You were rather tangled in the ribbons from the corset and were quite the sight, not exactly how you wanted to go to the feast. She gently unwound you from the ribbons and did it up tightly, for your first time in a corset you were not particularly enjoying the experience. After you placed the belt around your waist, and it fit almost seamlessly with the dress. You slid your feet into the heels and looked up at the mirror. Perfect.  
"I've been instructed to do your hair and makeup Miss, please follow me."  
Well okay then, she sure was direct. You follow her to the vanity near the edge of the room, and after some careful consideration on how you were supposed to sit in a corset, you just about managed the task. She immediately set about placing a light layer of makeup on,   
More to accentuate your natural features than to create new ones. It took her no time at all until you looked less like yourself, and more like a princess. Once finished she procured a green ribbon from seemingly nowhere and braided it carefully into your hair. The green matched the underlay in your dress perfectly, either she was magic or she just carried ribbons around with her at all times. You hoped the latter. Once done she turned the braid into a tight bun on the back of your head and looked you over. Deeming you appropriate she ushered you out the wardrobe and into the main chamber. The first thing you saw when you walked into the room were the horns. The king was stood in what seemed to be armor, with a large horned headpiece made almost entirely out of gold. He looked stunning. Only now did you get the chance to admire him fully, and damn were you both surprised and impressed. While the king didn't pack the muscle weight you had seen most other asguardians wear, he was still very definably muscular, with a more lithe build only showing it further. His cheek bones could kill the were so sharp and his eyes were greener than an emerald with a mischievous glint in them. While you drank in his appearance he did the same to you, clearly not expecting to look as you did. Smugly you walked closer to him, however you bring you the rug got caught against your shoe and you very nearly face planted the floor.  
"Follow my pet, the feast awaits and my subjects grow impatient." He spoke, amusement clear in his voice. Psh, you'd like to see him try and walk in heels and a corset, it was harder than it looked! You followed him as he walked out the door, jogging a little to keep up with his long strides. After a short walk you reached the main doors to the hall. The doors themselves did not look very special at all, but the handle was solid gold and had all sorts of intricate carvings on it. While you were busy admiring the door handle, the king was watching you appraisingly. You looked up at him, expecting him to say something. He didn't. Why was he waiting- oh. Well at least he thought about you having a panic attack before placing you in a large crowd of people, always nice.  
"I'll be fine, crowds have never bothered me much anyway."  
While this was true you had never been the center of attention to a big crowd, as you were certain you were about to be. Fuck it, you were not letting this stop you enjoying yourself. A simple nod from the king and the doors opened by themselves, enchanted with whatever door magic was common around here. You had to learn what, it seemed very useful. As soon as the doors opened the whole room seemed to pause, looking up from the tables they were seated at only to stand and bow. Well at least they respected the king if not you. You followed as the king slowly walked down the steps, and towards the seat that was obviously left for him. It was made of gold after all, defiantly befitting of a king. He stopped as he reached it and turned to the woman who would have sat on his right. Where were you supposed to sit-  
"Move. This seat is not for the likes of you." The woman looked stunned, but did as she was told, standing and moving down to row to the next available seat. Well that solves that then. The king gestured for you to sit and you did so, the king sitting almost directly afterwards.  
"I welcome you all as freestanding citizens of Asgard, may you begin your feast."  
And with that, the room erupted into chaos, servants running all over, placing platters of food over the tables, and set plates in front of people. The first good meal you had in a very long while, you couldn't wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure I'm slightly sick, so it may be shorter chapters for a little while. Sorry!


	6. The graceful ball.

A shining golden plate completely smothered with mountains of food you had never even seen before was hastily placed on the mat in front of you, a similar one placed in front of the king. The serving servants then quickly scuttled off, with a speed that rivaled an Olympic runner, looking absolutely terrified. Huh. Looking down you had absolutely no idea where to even begin with your plate, there was more food on it than you had ever seen before in one place! You'd never been one to eat a large meal even before the enlightenment, preferring instead to snack on small bits and pieces throughout the day, but this meal made even your families Christmas dinner seem tiny in comparison, and that had to feed eighteen people! And especially now when food on Midgard was so hard to get, most people who lived near you were malnourished and the best food you got was from a tin. Carefully watching the king as he ate so you didn't eat something the wrong way (boy would that's be embarrassing, you didn't know the culture but you really didn't want to seem rude), you skillfully mimicked his actions and cut up what you thought appeared to be some sort of exotic meat, and hoped it tasted good, or at least didn't make you want to vomit. To your surprise it tasted almost exactly like a cross between chicken and beef, despite it's slightly off putting grayish purple color. The rest of the meal followed a very similar and monotonous pattern, and despite the fact that you only ate a very tiny amount (especially compared to others on the table), you did your best to try everything at least once that was sat on the shiny plate in front of you. Almost exactly after the king had finished and placed his cutlery down, everyone else suddenly stopped eating as well, despite some still having full plates, as if there was some rule on not eating after he did. There probably was and you really would have to remember that, particularly with your bad manners. Very swiftly after this, a dozen servants rushed into the hall to clear the food from the affected tables and push them all out of the way of the dance floor and into some rooms hidden off the side of the hall. At this most of the hall got up and started wandering about, mingling together and creating a quiet drone of chatter that filled the previous near silence. Awe inspireing Music started to swirl into the room from some unknown place outside and as the middle of the floor had been cleared, there were dancers swirling about with an incredible elegance you didn't think was possible, drifting around like waves in a sea of every single color, mainly reds, blues and greens. Nobody else wore anything black like you however, you were sure that you noted this down and promptly decided to wear something of a more common color next time to help minimize the amount of looks you got.  
"Do you wish to dance, my pet?" Murmured the king softly towards you. You looked over at the king who was watching you with barely concealed interest. You paused, you really did want to join the swirling mass of grace and beauty, but there was one rather important issue.  
"I... I don't know how to dance like that." You looked down to your feet in shame, but looked up again quickly as you remembered his orders to look at him when you spoke. He looked you up and down for a second, debating something then stood.  
"It's not hard pet, just follow my lead and you will do just fine."  
He extended his hand to you, and you took it, still unsure if you were going to be at good at this whole dancing malarkey. He led you to the floor where he carefully positioned you to dance with him.  
"Keep your arms loose, and just follow my lead. I won't let you crash into others so just pay attention to me. Understand pet?" You nodded mutely, because what else could you do, it wasn't as if you could say no. He started to pull you along, gently guilting to i around around the floor. You hadn't never felt more uncomfortable and insecure, it felt as if everyone was watching you and the king. To be fair to yourself, they probably were, to no fault of themselves. It wasn't like the king to dance, let alone with some random maiden most of them had never even seen before, who held no status in court or in any other country. The king clearing his throat garnered your attention, your head snapping to look up at his, and not at the dancers around you.  
"Pet, did I not say to focus on me? You'll enjoy this less if you get distracted in what the other dancers are doing." You nod meekly, whoops. You looked back up and just got lost into his emerald eyes, allowing him complete control over you as he swirled your bodies around with the other dancers, a gap between them and you as they all kept their distance. This pattern followed for several songs, almost putting you to sleep from both the effort of moving, and the swirling colors. You were close to passing out by the end of the eighth song.  
"I think it's high time we return to my chambers pet." He spoke while still gazing intently into your eyes, as he had been doing for the large duration of the dance. You nodded, already half asleep, and suddenly all you felt were a pair of strong arms wrapping around you. The king gently guided you out into the corridor, and carefully lifted you up to carry you. He held you close in bridal style, your arms instinctively wrapping around his neck to avoid falling. In your tired state all you could think of was how good he smelt, somewhere between pine and cedar, seemingly radiating the smell of nature. It was nice. The king carried you to his chambers, and gently placed you onto the bed. Waving his hand your magnificent gown was replaced with a soft silk nightgown, that hugged your figure perfectly. It was an slightly sheer emerald green and the king stopped for a few moments to fully appreciate you before climbing into the bed himself. He gently pulled you towards him and by the time he turned to face you, you were long gone into the land of dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my absence, it'll be a few more days before I'm back into the swing of things, turns out I was a lot more sick than I originally thought. I'll be fine and expect another chapter within the next week or so!


End file.
